Drainage Contractor November 2017 : Page 24

CONTRACTOR AT WORK for help, getting assistance with designing drainage projects and spending many hours learning how to use design software. He installed his first tiling project in March 2010, with a 9400 John Deere tractor and a pull-type plow. Sprague used this equipment to mainly complete soil erosion projects and small pattern tile jobs. After a couple of years, Sprague bought a D8-sized dozer with a rear mount plow – now he had tracks and the ability to install large mains. After a year, he was able to afford his first self-propelled Wolfe 400 tile plow in 2013. This machine really helped open opportunities for Sprague. He purchased a two-year-old Wolfe 540 in 2016, and now operates a brand new Wolfe 600 parallel link plow. machine,” Sprague says. However, if he has to look at new jobs or survey a field, Sprague calls on one of his crew, David Wright, to run the plow. “David has been with me since the beginning and I credit our success to him as much as [myself]. Hopefully [the business] will continue to grow and I will have a solid foundation in place for a second crew.” After plowing all week, Sprague spends the weekends looking at new potential jobs, doing administrative work, research or surveying. He will sometimes spend upwards of 80 hours per week working, which wouldn’t be possible without the support from his wife and two daughters. “[My wife Heather] has been so supportive of me, by my side the entire time,” Sprague says. “It takes a special family that understands the work it takes in the agriculture and agricultural drainage businesses.” In addition to the long days, a constant issue is logistics. With so many pieces of equipment and so many different jobs to do, it can be challenging to maximize efficiency. That, along with being self-employed and operating a company, Sprague needs to invest a lot of time and effort in order to stay on top of things. He highlights the importance of finding and harboring good employees. “Surround yourself with people that are going to do what they GOOD TEAM, GOOD CONTRACTOR Sprague currently operates with a crew of seven men, four of which are the tile crew, working on the fields day-to-day. Despite a decent-size crew, the long days and even longer nights have Sprague thinking of taking a step away from operating the plow. The environment and weather also take a toll since the area Sprague operates in isn’t prone to freezing and the crew runs through winter. Other team members are starting to transition into different positions. “I probably do about 95 percent of the plowing right now. I really feel [that] farmers like to see the owner running that BIG BENEFITS INCREASE CROP YIELDS LOWER PRODUCTION COSTS INCREASE LAND VALUE EXTEND PLANTING SEASON PROMOTE STRONGER ROOT SYSTEMS For more information or to place an order call 1-800-354-9146 . WITHOUT BIG O WITH BIG O PERFORATED & NON-PERFORATED TUBING POLYESTER FILTER SOCK ARMTEC.COM 24 DRAINAGE CONTRACTOR | NOVEMBER 2017 DC_Armtec_BigO_May17_CSA.indd 1 2017-03-10 8:42 AM